The R.L. Winston Rod Co. has two new fly rods they’re releasing summer 2017: the Nimbus and the Kairos. Last week they invited Fly Fusion editor, Derek Bird, to their factory in Twin Bridges, Montana for a sneak peek.

After testing out the Nimbus he said, “I walked through the factory and watched how Winston makes their rods. There’s a lot of care that goes into each rod right from cutting and wrapping the graphite all the way through to the hand-written rod inscription. It’s an impressive process. After visiting the factory, they put me on a small spring creek with the new Nimbus. The entire time I was casting I felt in touch with the rod; it has an extremely smooth casting feel. The Nimbus is a sensitive rod with tons of power.”

According to Winston, the Nimbus is “a completely new design inspired by our premium Boron rods. Using the same multi modulus graphite as our Boron rods along with versatile mid-tip flex tapers, the Nimbus provides all the core attributes and qualities one has come to expect from a Winston. Incredibly smooth casting, the Nimbus’ progressive action delivers unmatched all-graphite performance, with both the power and finesse to fish even the most challenging situations. Offered in a full range of freshwater, saltwater, and spey models, Nimbus rods are finished in a beautiful Big Sky Blue color and sport premium componentry and our renowned handwritten rod inscription. Proudly designed and produced in Twin Bridges, Montana, the Nimbus is simply the best all-graphite fly rod on the market.”

Around this time of year, the Fly Fusion Team begins to hear rumours about what’s on the horizon for new fly-fishing gear. This year the first rumour to materialize comes from the R.L. Winston Fly Rod Company. Last week they invited editor, Derek Bird,  down to Montana to test out two new rods they plan to release this summer.  He tested  the new Winston Kairos on a larger stream throwing streamers to browns. After testing the rod he said, “The Kairos is a slick casting, fast action rod that handles streamers (and anything else I threw) with ease, even in the wind. The Kairos has an upper end feel without the upper end price tag.”

According to Winston, “The Kairos features a complete series of freshwater, saltwater, and spey models. With a modern, fast action, the Kairos provides the perfect blend of speed and smoothness, allowing any angler to enjoy a wide variety of fishing applications. Kairos rods showcase a striking Clear Graphite finish complemented by Winston Green thread wraps and our classic hand-written rod inscription as the final touch. Proudly designed and built by anglers in Twin Bridges, Montana.”

Keep your eyes open for it’s release.